Thousands of people who fled New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Gustav forced the city to reluctantly op

(3 Sep 2008) HEADLINE: New Orleans evacuation lifted, residents return --------------------------------------- CAPTION: Thousands of people who fled New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Gustav forced the city to reluctantly open its doors Wednesday. That's almost a day sooner than Mayor Ray Nagin had wanted residents to return. (Sept. 3) ---------------------------------------- [Notes:ANCHOR VOICE] ((SUPER: New Orleans)) ((VO of cars at checkpoint.)) OFFICIALS TRIED TO KEEP GUSTAV EVACUEES OUT OF NEW ORLEANS UNTIL MIDNIGHT. BUT, AS SURROUNDING PARISHES OPENED THEIR BORDERS, CITY CHECKPOINTS CREATED GRIDLOCK. ((SOT)) ((SUPER: Arnie Felkow/New Orleans City Councilman)) 'I think that the reentry plan had some flaws in it, especially when all the other parishes announced they were opening at 6 a-m Wednesday. I think New Orleans should have done the same thing.' ((TRACK)) ((VO of cars driving down highway, woman.)) IN THE END, THEY COULDN'T BE HELD BACK. NEW ORLEANS MAYOR RAY NAGIN SAID NO ONE WOULD BE TURNED AWAY, AND THE EVACUATION WAS EFFECTIVELY LIFTED. SALLY MISTRETTA - WHO FLED TO LAFAYETTE -WASN'T FAR BEHIND. ((SOT)) ((SUPER: Sally Mistretta/Evacuee)) 'I don't like them. They scare me to death. Little inside info about me, the three things that scare me the most are hurricanes, cockroaches and commitment. (laughs)' ((TRACK)) ((VO of canal street, shoppers in market.)) NAGIN TOLD A LOCAL T-V STATION HE WAS 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WITH THE REPOPULATION. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES JUST ONE OF THE HARDSHIPS RETURNING EVACUEES FACE HERE. AT CANSECO'S METAIRIE MARKET - ONE OF THE FIRST BUSINESSES TO REOPEN - SHOPPING WAS DONE IN TWILIGHT AND BUSINESS WAS BRISK, EVEN IF THE SELECTION WAS SPARSE. ((SOT)) ((SUPER: Sinesio Canseco/Business Owner)) 'We had to throw away all the produce, all the dairy, all the meat, all the deli, all our coolers, all the frozen goods. Everything that was cold we had to throw away.' ((NATS)) Music. ((TRACK)) ((VO of Bourbon Street, bars.)) AND ALONG FAMED BOURBON STREET, THE NEON SIGNS FLICKERED TO LIFE AS THE PARTY RESUMED. WHILE WEDNESDAY WAS A GOOD DAY FOR THOSE WHO HAD MEANS TO RETURN, THOUSANDS OF MORE WHO WERE EVACUATED FROM THE CITY BY BUS OR TRAIN WILL LIKELY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THIS WEEKEND TO GET THEIR RIDE BACK TO THE BIG EASY. JB, THE A-P, NEW ORLEANS. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...